SARS Forces 24-hour Quarantine on Chinese Banknotes

People Daily (China) ^ | 4.30.03

[Enemy Of The State]

SARS Forces 24-hour Quarantine on Chinese Banknotes

Chinese banks have joined the nationwide battle against the severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS, by moving to stop it from spreading through one of the most widely circulated conduits - banknotes.

Medical experts said there was no clear evidence that incidences of the disease were higher among those frequently handling banknotes, but the central bank said it was putting more unused banknotes into circulation and ensuring a 24-hour holding period before redirecting recycled cash back into daily use.

In a press release on Friday, the People's Bank of China also issued a requirement that commercial banks step up financial support for businesses that produce or sell drugs and equipment used in fighting the potentially deadly virus, and urged them to implement faster loan approvals.

The Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC), the nation's largest commercial bank, said it has taken measures to ensure supply of cash at key sites in the forefront of the SARS battle, mostly hospitals and pharmacies, and that cash passing into the public's hands is free of the virus.

"When suspicious banknotes come back in, we first sterilize them with disinfectant, and expose them under ultraviolet light for four hours," said an ICBC spokesman.

He said the bank is also disinfecting everyday its more than 700 automatic teller machines (ATMs) in Beijing.

The central bank has called for broader use of bank cards to avoid close contact among people.

"We are advising people to use ATMs, e-banking and telephone banking services instead of going to the counters," the ICBC spokesman said.

The financial order in the capital remains stable, including withdrawals and depositing activities, sources said.

The ICBC spokesman said: "Except for reducing our public activities, none of our normal operations have been affected."

[Flavius]

G I guess I cant buy anything at Walmart anymore it may be tainted...

[Enemy Of The State]

that was the case long before SARS ever hit. Walmart goods build the enemys surplus.

[etcetera]

"G I guess I cant buy anything at Walmart anymore it may be tainted."

Yep, and the virus is said to have a longer-than-suspected life span outside a host. All the scientists need to say now is that the virus forms cysts like bacteria and go dormant. That would put the Chinese export market in a real panic.

[Milwaukee_Guy]

The Communist Chineese government seems really clueless during this whole SARS outbreak.

The Chineese are running out of medicines and masks. The SARS toll in the rural areas is a complete unknown and may dwarf what is being reported in the major urban areas. Chineese leaders hiding the outbreak until it became well entrenched in the populace. Chineese doctors and academia unable to isolate the cause of the outbreak.

Washing money is just a pathetic attempt to calm fears in the public. Pure pablum for the populace.

What would one expect from a Godless Communist dictatorship?

Maybe we should stop accepting any of their commerce for a year until they are able to gain control over their own medical system?

In many ways China is the biggest global threat.

[Enemy Of The State]

"Washing money is just a pathetic attempt to calm fears in the public."

Perhaps you are not aware of this, but the Chinese people are very very superstitious so something like this goes a long way even though it may seem meaningless to us.

"Maybe we should stop accepting any of their commerce for a year until they are able to gain control over their own medical system?"

Only a year? hell that wouldnt even give us enough time to lower the surplus they have levied against us. Id feel more comfortable with something like 5-10.


"In many ways China is the biggest global threat. "


China is our biggest threat in every way!

[2timothy3.16]

Washing money? Hey I gotta a buddy named Guito, Guito knows how to Washing money.

But seriously, is there any danger in buying stuff made in China, stuff like teddy bears for babies?

[CathyRyan]

Damn the Chinese government for this mess.

[Grut]

But seriously, is there any danger in buying stuff made in China, stuff like teddy bears for babies?

This question keeps coming up and it's not an unreasonable one; but I think if it was a real problem we'd have seen SARS popping up all over the country weeks ago and since we haven't, it probably doesn't survive on Chinese products long enough to get here.

[jerseygirl]

A friend of mine works at a furniture store. He said that occasionally, when boxes are sent from China, wierd "bugs" climb out after the boxes are opened. Sometimes critters also crawl out of the cushions, etc.

[2timothy3.16]

A friend of mine works at a furniture store. He said that occasionally, when boxes are sent from China, wierd "bugs" climb out after the boxes are opened. Sometimes critters also crawl out of the cushions, etc.

Really?